Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected

Philippians 3:12
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 

We have heard about the process of sanctification which we are suppose to go through when we belong to Christ and we mature. Sanctification itself is not the end goal, perhaps it can be thought of as a guide as to how we are walking with God - whether we are maturing or drifting. The end goal then, as always has been, is to be back in a relationship with God. It is about truly recognizing God as our Father and being restored to Him.

But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption

1 Corinthians 1:30
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption

The Scripture says that when believers are in Christ, He becomes sanctification for us. That means that we don't need to try and be sanctified, but when we live in Him, we are sanctified. It is His sanctification that will be given to us. So again, it is not through our own efforts to achieve sanctification, rather we allow Christ to be in our lives and so we receive His sanctification. A commentator said that this is not about imitating Yshua, because we can never be like Him, but letting His perfect qualities exhibit in us.

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected

Philippians 3:12
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 

Paul started this verse recognizing the reality that we will never be perfect in this life, although we are in the process of sanctification. It is humbling and it is the reality, that God does not call on perfect people to do His work. God is using us the way we are and it is God who calls us for His work. Our own abilities may or may not be a factor, after all it is God who gives us all of our abilities. But we are never qualified in ourselves, for it is God who chooses any of us to do His work for His glory, not ours.

Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord

Romans 6:9-11
Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When Yshua rose from the dead, He showed to all that He had conquered death. He did not sin, but had the sins placed upon Him, which led Him to the cross. He had lived His life to God. We too can follow Him in giving up our lives of sin and live according to God. To do this, we must be alive in Jesus, that is letting the Holy Spirit guide us.

For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house

The author of Hebrew relates to the Hebrew audience by referring them to Moses who is faithful. There was no question about the faithfulness of Moses and Moses can be seen as a foundational figure in Judaism. Now the author brings in Jesus as a comparison and shows that Jesus too is faithful and even more so. Jesus is the High Priest and Apostle and is more worthy of glory than Moses. Moses can be regarded as a servant in God's house, but Jesus Himself is the owner of the house, whom we can belong to.

Then the Holy Spirit reminds the readers against hardening of hearts which is essentially rebellion against God. The historical example is made to the refusal of the Israelites to conquer the Promised land, and so they had to wait for forty years until the current generation has passed away. This account in history would be very familiar to the Hebrew audience. They are now called to accept Y'shua the Messiah and not have hardened hearts by sin and unbelief.



Hebrews 3
The Son Was Faithful

1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, 2 who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. 3 For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. 5 And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, 6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.[a]

Be Faithful

7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:

“Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’”[b]
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said:

“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”[c]


Failure of the Wilderness Wanderers

16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.